Canon de 37 mm Modèle 1925
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| Canon de 37 mm Modèle 1925 | |
|---|---|
Canon de 37 modèle 1925 on the French destroyer L'Indomptable in 1936. | |
| Type | Anti-aircraft gun |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| Used by | France |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1925 |
| Produced | 1925 |
| Variants | Modèle 1933 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 300 kg (660 lb) |
| Length | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Barrel length | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) (50-caliber) |
| Shell | 37 × 278 mmR |
| Shell weight | .72 kg (1.6 lb) |
| Caliber | 37 millimeters (1.5 in) |
| Action | Semi-automatic |
| Elevation | −15° to +80° |
| Traverse | 360° |
| Rate of fire | 15-21 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 810 m/s (2,700 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 5,400 m (5,900 yd) at +45° |
| Maximum firing range | 7,000 m (7,700 yd) at +45°[1] |
The Canon de 37 mm Modèle 1925 was a widely used family of French anti-aircraft guns used by the French Navy during World War II.
The Modèle 1925 was a single gun mount while the later Modèle 1933 was a twin mount. Both were hand-loaded, semi-automatic guns with a low rate of fire compared to their clip-fed contemporaries. A combination of low rate of fire, low projectile weight and small numbers of guns per ship led to a reputation of it being a poor anti-aircraft weapon.[2]
Ship classes that carried Modèle 1925 & Modèle 1933 include:
- Aigle-class destroyers
- Bougainville-class avisos
- Bourrasque-class destroyers
- Chacal-class destroyers
- Dunkerque-class battleships
- Duquesne-class cruisers
- Guépard-class destroyers
- L'Adroit-class destroyers
- La Melpomène-class torpedo boats
- Le Fantasque-class destroyers
- Le Fier-class torpedo boats
- Mogador-class destroyers
- Richelieu-class battleships
- Suffren-class cruisers
- Vauquelin-class destroyers
Comparison of anti-aircraft guns
| Country | Gun Model | RPM | Projectile Weight | Weight of fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon de 37 mm Modèle 1925 | 15-21 | .72 kg (1.6 lb)[1] | 10.8–15.12 kg (23.8–33.3 lb) | |
| 3.7 cm SK C/30 | 30 | .74 kg (1.6 lb)[3] | 22.2 kg (49 lb) | |
| Cannone-Mitragliera da 37/54 (Breda) | 60-120 | .82 kg (1.8 lb)[4] | 49.2–98.4 kg (108–217 lb) | |
| 37 mm Gun M1 | 120 | .61 kg (1.3 lb) | 73.2 kg (161 lb) | |
| 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 | 150 | .64 kg (1.4 lb)[5] | 96 kg (212 lb) | |
| 37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) | 80[6] | .73 kg (1.6 lb)[7] | 58.4 kg (129 lb) | |
| QF 2-pounder naval gun | 115 | .91 kg (2.0 lb)[8] | 104.6 kg (231 lb) | |
| Bofors 40 mm gun | 120 | .9 kg (2.0 lb)[9] | 108 kg (238 lb) |